Ingestion Effects & Calculating Dose

Cooking with cannabis has come a long way since you’ve eaten your friend’s failed attempt at pot brownies all those years ago. Since then, edibles have become a staple in the medical marijuana community.

Eating to get high has grown from a pan of burnt brownies to becoming the centerpiece in a culinary masterpiece. Along with different ways as to how to cook with cannabis, the healing effects of edibles have also become widely evolved, making eating cannabis just as, if not more potent than smoking marijuana.

THE INGESTION EFFECTS OF COOKING WITH CANNABIS

Smoking cannabis is the age-old go-to tradition for marijuana consumption.However, with the growth of marijuana legalization, edibles have become just as popular as the tried-and-true method of smoking.

The world of edibles continues to grow as medical marijuana and recreational cannabis become commonplace. Each year, High Times holds their coveted Cannabis Cup, where cannabis chefs compete to see which edibles are the most delectable. Since the growth of the competition, edibles have taken on a life that is far beyond just cookies and brownies.

Some of the innovative ways you may enjoy edibles include:

This list only scratches the surface on how much cannabis edibles has evolved. While eating cannabis can get you high or help alleviate bodily pain just like smoking can do, ingesting edibles will still lead you to a different experience than smoking marijuana. Therefore, consuming marijuana edibles needs to be done under different guidance than smoking the herb.

Here are some guidelines for ingestion of edibles, including dosage:

THE EFFECTS OF EDIBLES

Smoking is perhaps the quickest way to get your marijuana fix. When you light up marijuana, you almost get an instantaneous high. Feeling the effects of edibles can take upwards of a half hour to 90 minutes. While that may seem like a long time to kick in, edibles may just be worth the wait.

Although it is not instantaneous relief, eating edibles can have a longer lasting effect on the body than smoking does. Depending on the dosage of your edible, the high may last anywhere from 4 to 12 hours.

HOW TO CALCULATE DOSAGE FOR MARIJUANA EDIBLES

The dosage for edibles is such a wide range because any and all effects depend on the individual who is consuming the treats. Body weight, height, gender, metabolism, and age all play a role in how edibles effect the body.

Typically, 10-25 mg of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component present in cannabis, is enough for the overall feeling of relaxation, followed by an increase of talkativeness and laughter. In Colorado, the lower end of that spectrum (10 mg) is considered one serving. When purchasing edibles from a cannabis shop, one package may contain up to 100 mg of THC. That would break down to 10 pieces of whichever type of edible you are purchasing.

Other edibles can have as low as 5 mg of THC. Therefore, it is important to read the packaging when you are purchasing a cannabis edible, as well as prior to ingesting it. That way you are aware of just how much THC you are ingesting.

TIPS ON PROPER DOSING OF CANNABIS EDIBLES

If you are an avid smoker, that does not translate to edibles. Therefore, just because you have a high tolerance to marijuana smoke does not mean your body will react the same way to a high level of edibles.

The safest bet when consuming marijuana edibles is to start with a low dose and go slow with it. Do not grow impatient waiting for the high to kick-in. Doing so will provoke you to consume more edibles. In eating more cannabis, you might become far higher than your body can handle. If you are new to consuming cannabis, best practices would be to buy a product with a lower concentration of THC, which would lie somewhere in the 2-5 mg range.

If you ingest too much THC from consuming cannabis edibles, there is a possibility of a THC overdose. Symptoms of a THC overdose include:

Although THC overdoses may seem scary in the moment, they are not deadly. The best way to handle an overdose is to keep calm and drink plenty of fluids. Waiting it out is the best bet as the effect should wear off in a few hours. Obviously, if you feel that the high is too much to bear, you can seek medical attention. However, all they will do to treat a THC overdose is to hook you up to fluids and send you a hefty medical bill.

HOW TO PREVENT UNWANTED EFFECTS OF EDIBLES

Besides watching how much you ingest, there are other precautions you can take to ensure that your edibles experience is a positive one. First, you should take edibles on a full stomach. Eating edibles on an empty stomach will intensify the feelings that come from consuming marijuana. While that may seem fun, it can lead you down the road where you experience the symptoms of a THC overdose outlined above.

Eating foods that are dense and take longer to digest will add time onto how long it takes to feel the effects of edibles. So, if you take edibles on a full stomach, don’t grow impatient if you are not feeling high. Consuming edibles on a full stomach will allow your body to experience the high longer as well.

Whatever you do, don’t mix edibles with any alcohol or hard drugs. These will undoubtedly change the experience and give you side effects much like those outlined in the THC overdose bullets, or even worse.

Lastly, be safe when consuming edibles. If you wouldn’t drink and drive, then don’t drive and do edibles either. Stay in a safe environment where you feel comfortable. This will ensure you have the best edibles experience.